The ablative case in Konkani is actually a compounded case. It is the genitive instrumental, or the instrumental of the genitive case, and its usage is very restricted and yet not uncommon, and hence its importance. It is used mainly to express a person’s ability or inability, competence or incompetence, etc or the legitimacy or illegitimacy, permissibility or the opposite of a certain behaviour or action. The ablative is used when one wants to convey a meaning similar to सकना in Hindi or शकणे in Marathi. For example, the Konkani version of मै कर सकता हूं (Hindi) or मी करूं शकतों (Marathi) is “Mhojean korum ieta”
It is interesting to note that Marathi too has a similar ablative case. However, it is perhaps considered as archaic and is mostly found in old writings such as translations of the Bible. For instance, the Marathi form of mhojean is माझ्याने. And unless one is familiar with Marathi literature, one may never have even heard the word माझ्याने, which is the ablative of मी.
Here are the ablatives of personal pronouns:
Singular | Plural | |||
1st Person | Mhojean |
I | Amchean |
We |
2nd Person | Tujean |
Thou | Tumchean |
You |
3rd Person masc. | Tachean |
He | Tanchean |
They |
3rd Person fem. | Tichean |
She | ||
3rd Person neut. | Tachean |
It |
Examples:
Mhojean hem sonsum nozo
Tujean tem kam’ oxem korum ieta